The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-04-27
A Story of the Revolution.

In the year 1871, while Clinton anu
Washington were watching each others
movements near New York. General
Schuyler, having resigned his COM
mand on account of some unjust
charges against him, was staying at his
house, which then stood alone outside
the stockade or wall of Albany. The
British commander, therefore, seeing
his opportunity, sent out John Walter
Meyer, with party of Tories and In
dians, to capture General Schuyler.
When they arrived at the outskirts of
the city they learned from a Dutch la
borer that the generals house was
guarded by six soldiers. The Dutch
man. the minute the band was out of
sight, took to his legs and warned the
general of their approach. Soon after
a servant announced that there was a
strange man at the back-door who
wished to see the general. Schuyler,
understanding the trap, gathered his
family in one of the upper rooms, and
giving orders that the doors and win
dows be barred, fred pistol from one
of the top-story windows to alarm the
neighborhood. The guards, who had
been lounging in the shade of tree,
started to their feet at the sound of the
pistol, but alas, too late for they found
themselves surrounded by crowd of
dusky figures. who bound them hand
and foot before they had time to resist.
And now you can imagine the little
group collected in that dark room up
stairs; the sturdy general, standing reso-
lutely by the door, with his gun in
his hand and his black slaves gathered
around him. each with some weapon
and at the other end of the room the
women huddled together, some weep
ing, some praying. Suddenly a crash
is heard which chills the very blood
and brings wildly to each ones mind
the tales of Indian massacres so com
mon in that day. The band had broken
in at one of the windows. AT that mo-
ment Mrs. Schuyler, springing to hel
feet, rushed towards the door; for she
remembered that the baby, only few
months old, having been forgotten in
the hurry of flight, was asleep in it:
cradle on the first floor. But the gen
eral, catching her in his arms, told hel
that her life was of more value thar
the child's, and that if any one mus
90 he would. While, however, this
generous struggle was going on theil
third daughter, gliding past them, was
soon at the side of the cradle. All wal
as black as night in the hall, except TO
a small patch of light just at the foot o
the stairs. This came from the dining
pillaging the shelves, pulling down thu
china and quarrelling with one anothe
over their ill-gotten booty. How t,
get past this spot was the question, bu
the girl did not hesitate. She reached
the cradle unobserved, and was jus
darting back with her precious burden
when. by ill-luck, one of the savage
happened to see her. Whiz! went hi
sharp tomahawk within few inches 0
the baby's head, and, cleaving an edg'
of the brave girls dress, stuck dec
into the stair-rail. Just then one o
the Tories, seeing her fit by, and sup
posing her to be servant, called afte
her, Wench, wench, where is you
master?" She, stopping for a moment
called back, "Gone to alarm the town.
and, hurrying on, was soon safe agail
with her father upstairs. And now
very ucdlly all luc piuluCl having pCCl
secured, the band was about to procee
to the real object of the expedition
when the general, raising one of tn
upper windows, called out in lust,
tones, as if commanding large bod
of men; Come on, my brave fellows
Surround the house! Secure the vii
lains who are plunderingw The COW
ards knew that voice, and they eacl
and every one of them took to tn
woods as fast as their legs would carr
them, leaving the general in possession
of the field. The old Schuyler hous
looks now as it looked then, except tina
the back wing for the slaves has bee
torn down and some few alteration
have been made around the place; bu
when you are shown the house you ca
still see the dent in the stair-rail mad
by that Indians Ratchet more than
hundred years ago.-St Nicholas.